Separator for grain and the like



2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 mf mw vu mn M K 5 0 05W/QLD Mick-o O. ALLGAIER ET AL SEPARATOR FOR GRAIN AND THE LIKE irl! Aug. 20, 1968 original Filed Nov. e, 1962 00.0000000004 /0 .nm N0n0n0u0w0u0uw 0 0000000000000 ,0.9000004 q 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00,000, 000000000000 0000 00 0006090000000 000030010, 05.45.06 M00 '0000.00.00 0M0N0000 $40000 O Q u8- 20, 1968 o, ALLGAIER ET Al. 3,397,781

SEPARATOR FOR GRAIN AND THE LIKE Original Filed Nov. 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 In @2; /7 @n i| M 1U ,rw M "MII IHI ll/ 24W@ i cls/me uan/Efe EMM J. mkf

United States Patent O 3 claims. (ci. 209-319) ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE A separator for grain or the like comprising a plurality 4of sifters each including a cylindrical section of equal diameters and a mesh for sifting grain or the like, the plurality of sifters being arranged coaxially with adjacent cylindrical sections abutting one another, and including clamping means for detachably securing said plurality of sifters together. The clamping means includes a plurality of brackets connected to either the uppermost or lowermost cylindrical section lof the uppermost or lowermost sifter, respectively, and each bracket has a longitudinal opening therein which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sifters. A plurality of members are secured to the other one of the uppermost or lowermost cylindrical section of the sifters and longitudinally aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of brackets, respectively. An elongated clamping rod is provided extending through each longitudinal opening of each of the plurality of brackets and includes a hook portion adapted to be hooked about the corresponding one of the plurality of members. A nut is releasably secured to each clamping rod adjacent the bracket for securing and tightening the clamping rod thereby clampingly holding the plurality of sifters therebetween.

The present application is a division of our copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 235,613, entitled Separator for Grain and the Like and led Nov. 6, 1962, now Patent No. 3,217,561 which issued Nov. 16, 1965.

The present invention relates to separators in general, and more particularly to an improved separator which may be used for classifying fractions of husked or unhusked grain and similar products.

It is an important object of our invention to provide an extremely simple and highly reliable separator which may be rapidly converted for separation of grain, flour and many other products into two, three ,or more fractions and which may be rapid-ly converted for treatment of different types of products.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separator of the just outlined characteristics which is constructed and assembled in such a way that it is capable of separating various fractions of a product with utmost precision so that coarser fractions are free of finer fractions and vice versa.

'A further object of the invention is to provide a separator of the type having one or more shaking or wobbling (jigging) sifters whose inclination and/or throw may be adjusted in an exceptionally simple manner.

An additional object .of the invention is to provide an improved sifter which may be used in a separator of the above outlined characteristics.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an improved casing for one or more sifters which may be used in a separator of the above described type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separator for treatment and processing of widely different products.

'It is still another object of the present invention to provide a specially constructed sifter which may be used in the casing of our separator and which is provided with specially configurated guide wallmeans to direct the rejected fractions toward the associated outlet of the casing,

in the provision of a plurality of specially constructed casings which may be readily clamped together and taken apart and which may accommodate a greater or lesser number of sifters, and in the provision of specially configurated and specially mounted collecting bottoms for overriding fractions of the product.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical section through a separator which embodies our invention;

FIG. 2 isa section along the lines II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View of a part of the separator as seen in the direction of arrow III in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated ernbodiment, and first to FIG. l, there is shown a separator which comprises three super-posed circular sifters 1, 2, 3, accommodated in the internal space of a cylindrical casing 4. The uppermost sifter 3 of coarsest mesh discharges the overriding fractions of the product into a frustoconical collecting bottom 5 whose central opening or chute 5a delivers such fractions onto the central portion of the intermediate sifter 2 of medium mesh. This intermediate sifter discharges the overriding fractions into a second frustoconical collecting bottom 6 Whose central opening or chute 6a delivers such .fractions onto the central portion of the lowermost sifter 1 of finest mesh. The fractions which pass through the interstices of the sifter 1 descend onto a third collecting bottom 7 which discharges such fractions through a lateral outlet 8 of the casing 4. The fractions rejected by the sifters 1, 2 and 3 are respectively discharged through lateral outlets 9, 10 and 11 provided in the mantle of the casing 4, and this casing comprises an inverted conical cover or lid 13 having a central inlet 12 through which husked or unhusked grain or another product to be separated, assorted or classiied is introduced at a predetermined rate. When the separator of FIG. 1 is in actual use, namely, when the casing 4 receives wobbling motion 4from a vertical driver shaft 15 and when a product is admitted through the inlet 12, all coarsest fractions which are rejected by the uppermost sifter 3 (i.e., which cannot pass through the interstices of this sifter) are caused to move toward and along the inner side of the casing 4 to be evacuated through the outlet 11. The overriding fractions (which are small enough to pass through the interstices of the uppermost sifter 3) descend into the collecting bottom 5 and drop through the central opening 5a onto the sifter 2 which rejects all coarser fractions through the outlet 10 Whereas the remaining fractions 4descend through this sifter and into the collecting bottom 6 to advance through the opening 6a onto the lowermost sifter 1. This sifter rejects all coarser fractions through the outlet 9 and permits the remainder of the product to descend onto the lowermost bottom 7 to be evacuated through the outlet 8. Depending on the nature of the product, the casing 4 may accommodate a single sifter, two sifters or four and collecting bottoms.

In the separator of FIG.l l; the casing 4 comprises several superposed cylindrical sections including an uppermost section 4a which is rigid with the cover 13, with the sifter 3 and wit-h the collecting bottom 5. The next section 4b is rigid with the sifter 2 and collecting bottom 6; the third section 4c is rigid with the sifter 1; and the lowermost section `4d is rigid with the collecting bottom 7. Such construction renders it possible to rapidly convert the separator for treatment and processing of different products because the number of sifters may be varied at will, i.e., sifters and collecting bottoms may be added, removed or exchanged in denpendency on the ingredients and size of the product. The sections 4a-4d are held together by clamping rods 4e whose lower ends have hooks 4h which are hooked about a member 4j secured and projecting below the lowermost section 4d and whose upper ends carry nuts 4f which engage suitable brackets 4g provided on the uppermost section 4a. The corresponding bracket 4g and member 4j for each clamping rod 4j are aligned parallel to the common axis of the coaxial sections.

The arrangement which transmits wobbling movements to the casing 4 comprises a drive means including a variable-speed electric motor 16a which drives a first pulley 16b. A belt 16C which is trained around the pulley 16b drives a second pulley 16 provided at the lower end of the driver shaft which is mounted in bearings 15a, 15b carried by a stationary frame 14 which is fixed to the ground. This frame is coupled to the lowermost section 4d of the casing 4 by a series of uniformly distributed retaining means here shown as elastic cables 20, which permit the casing to perform wobbling or shaking movements but which hold the casing against rotary movements.

At its upper end, the shaft 15 carries a fixedly mounted horizontal plate-like supporting member 21 4provided with a counterpoise 21 which is shiftable radially toward and away from the axis of the shaft 15 (see the arrow 21" in FIG. 4) and which serves as a means for balancing the motion transmitting arrangement of the separator. This motion transmitting arrangement further comprises the aforementioned supporting member 21 and a substantially plate-like supported member 22 which is pivotable about the horizontal axis of a hinge including a pivot pin 23 and which is rigid with a driven shaft 17 whose axis is inclined with respect to the axis of the driver shaft 15. The shaft 17 is rotatable in a suitable thrust bearing 18 provided at the underside of the collecting bottom 7. The general plane of the casing 4 is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 17. It will be noted that the shaft 17 is eccentric with respect to the driver shaft 15, i.e., that the shaft 17 is inclined and laterally displaced relative to the driver shaft. Due to such mounting of the shaft 17, the casing 4 is constrained to perform a wobbling or shaking movement as soon as the motor 16a is started whereby the fractions of the product descending onto the central portions of the sifters 1, 2, 3 tend to move toward the inner side of the casing 4 so that the overriding fractions pass through the interstices of the respective sifters and that the rejected fractions advance toward the respective outlets in a fully automatic way. FIG. 2 shows that the upper side of the intermediate sifter 2 is provided with a helical guide wall 33 which advances the rejected fractions in a helical path (arrows from the central portion of this sifter toward the outlet 10. Similar guide walls 33 are provided on the sifters 1 and 3. A curled line 34 indicates in FIG. 2 the manner in which rejected fractions are swirled while advancing from the central portion of the sifter 2 toward and through the outlet 10.

FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate the adjusting means for changing the inclination and the eccentricity of the driven shaft 17 with respect to the driver shaft 15. The inclination adjusting means comprises a wedge-like insert 30 which is placed between the members 21, 22 so as to determine the extent to which the member 22 is pivoted about the horizontal axis of the pivot pin 23. As shown, the pivot pin 23 extends between a pair of spaced upstanding lugs of a bracket 29 which is angularly adjustable with respect to the supporting member 21 and which bracket is detachably connected to this member by coupling means here shown as bolts 28. The supported member 22 has anV edge portion defining a sleeve which is turnablefon the pivot pin 23. Thus, the bracket 29, the pivot pin23 and the sleeve of the member 22 together constituteV a hinge which permits pivotal movements of the member 22 with respect to the member 21 tothereby change the inclination of the driven shaft 17. The underside of the member 22 is formed with a series of step-like cutouts or recesses, 31, 31 31" each of which may come into abutment with the upper side of the insert 30 when the latter is shifted along the upper side of the supporting member 21. In the position of FIG. 4, the insert 30 abuts against the underside 22a of the member 22 which means that the inclination of the driven shaft 17 is maximal. If the insert 30 is withdrawn in a direction to the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, its left-hand end portion may come to `rest in the cutout 31 whereby the inclination of the shaft 17 is reduced, i.e., the axis of the shaft 17 is moved nearer to substantial parallelism with the vertical axis of the shaft 15. The inclination of the shaft 17 is reduced still further if the insert 30 is shifted to a position in which it extends into the cutout 31 or 31". The configuration of the cutouts 31-31 preferably such that their top surfaces may come into face-to-face abutment with the upper side of the insert 30 if the insert 30 is shifted to a position in which a portion thereof extends into the respective cutout. The supported member 22 may be fixed in each position of angular adjustment about the pivot pin 23 by means of the aforementioned coupling bolts 28 and by additional bolts 27. The bolts 28 and 27, respectively extend through arcuate slots 25 and 26 provided in the bracket 29 and in the supported member 22, respectively. The centers of curvature of the slots 25 and 26 for the bolts 28 and 27 are located in an imaginary vertical axis 24 which is located between the pivot pin 23 and the shaft 15. Therefore, if the supported member 22 is angularly displaced about the axis 24, the eccentricity of the driven shaft 17 changes, i.e., the shaft 17 is moved nearerto or further away from the driver shaft 15. This will be readily understood by looking at FIG. 5. Thus, while the insert 30 may change the inclination of the shaft 17 and hence the extent of vertical movement performed by the casing 4 (the extent to which this casing wobbles with respect to a horizontal plane), the angular displaceability of the shaft 17 about the imaginary axis 24 enables the'casing 4 to change its throw, that is, the extent to which it moves back and forth in its own plane. By suitable selection of the inclination and eccentricity of the driven shaft 17, the operator may adjust the separator for optimum treat-ment of different types of grain or other products which must be separated, assorted or classified into two or more fractions.

The counterpoise 21' is adjusted mainly when the supported member 22 is turned about the axis 24 to change the eccentricity of the driven shaft 17.

Upon proper selection of the inclination and eccentricity of the driven shaft 17, the walls 33 will rapidly guide all rejected fractions toward the respective outlets whereas the overriding fractions pass throughA the respective sifters and collecting bottoms.

One, for most purposes, sufiicient and Simplified embodiment of the present invention exists in which the driven shaft only may be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis with respect to the driver shaft.

While we :have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A separator for grain and the like comprising an upper sitter including a cover, a coarse mesh, an

upper cylindrical section rigidly connected therebetween, the cover section and mesh forming a unit, and a rustoconical collecting bottom operatively connected to the bottom of said upper sifter,

a lower sifter including a lower cylindrical section having `a diameter equal to that of said upper cylindrical section and axially aligned therewith, a tine mesh rigidly connected substantially centrally to said lower cylindrical section, and a lower collecting bottom rigidly connected to the bottom of said lower cylindrical section,

means for clamping said upper and lower sifters operatively and coaxially together comprising,

a plurality of brackets connected to one of said cylindrical sections, and each having a longitudinal opening therein,

a plurality of members secured ,to the other one of said cylindrical sections and longitudinally aligned with a corresponding one of said plurality of brackets, respectively,

an elongated clamping rod extending through each longitudinal opening and including a hook portion hooked about said corresponding member,

'a nut releasably secured to each clamping rod adjacent said bracket for securing and tightening said clamping rod,

said upper cylindrical section having a iirst lateral opening adjacent said frustoconical collecting bottom thereof,

said lower cylindrical section having two second lateral openings ladjacent. the lower bottom and center thereof, respectively,

said cover and said frustoconical bottom each having central openings therein,

a helical wall disposed on each of said meshes and leading substantially from the center thereof to said lateral openings, respectively,

a stationary frame,

a plurality of resilient retaining means connected between said flat collecting bottom and said stationary frame, and

means mounted on said stationary frame for causing said connected sifters to undergo together a gyratory movement.

2. A separator Ias set forth in claim 1, wherein said cover is of conical shape.

3. The separator, as set forth in Iclaim 1, further comprising at least one intermediate sitter including an intermediate cylindrical section having a diameter equal to that of said upper and lower cylindrical sections, and abutting coaxially said upper and lower cylindrical sections being clamped therebetween by said clamping rods, an intermediate sifter connected to the bottom of said intermediate cylindrical section, an intermediate frustoconical collecting bottom operatively connected to the bottom of said intermediate sitter, an intermediate lateral opening in said intermediate cylindrical section adjacent and above said intermediate sifter, and a helical guide wall disposed on said inrtermediate mesh and extending substantially centrally thereof to said intermediate lateral opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 5/ 1949 Great Britain.

HAR-RY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

R. HALPER, Assistant Examiner. 

